Amway: The Untold Story

Your Comments, Part 42

Here are some of the responses I've received to the information on this page. I've left them as is, except for
a) removing the names to protect privacy, and b) reformatting them to fit the screen better.

This is a long file...I suggest downloading it to your computer and reading it off-line.

My thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute their opinions.

[NOTE: Some of these messages contain offensive language]

Hi

My Name Is *, I Have Been In Amway For About One Year And The
Experience Was Not As Good As I Expect .

I'm Not Saying That Amway Is Some Kind The Cult ,But I WIll Tell You If You
Have Weak Mind They Will Brain Wash You .

I Did't Only Lost Lots Valuable Time & God Knows How Much Money, But I Lost
My Girlfreind The Only Person I Trust,Some Time I Blame Myself Bring Her
Into This Business(Which She Are Still In).She Has Been In Amway For About 1
1/2 Years Now ,But She Is Still Broke And Wasn't Doing Too Good ,But She Is
Brain Wash Way Too Deep For Anyone To Talk To Her.

I Just Want People To Know The Reason They Need You Not Because They Want To
Make Money,But They Need You Down There In The Circle Keep Buying Some Thing
& Buying Tapes To Make Them Money.Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are obviously a busy man. You have put a lot of work and research into
your web site.

What defines an illegal pyramid scheme?

I've heard a few different explanations of what is an illegal scheme, and why
AMWAY is/isn't one. I thought AMWAY was no one because the guys at the
bottom always get their money, which is sometimes more than the guy(s) who
sponsored them. In your site I read that pyramids sell products w/o and end
consumer. That would make my whole line of sponsorship, and about 75% of the
AMWAY business, illegal. I was under the impression that if a business was
this big for this long, it would have received adequate scrutiny to prevent
such illegal activity.

If AMWAY is a pyramid scheme, why haven't they been legally charged?

LOL- I love your site! I'm in Excel Telecommunications and we've been
saying Amway was a cult for a long time.

I feel there are "real" MLM's out there that you can make money at like
Excel because you don't have to constanly buy things every month "NO
QUOTAS"
I feel so bad for these people who can't afford to even spend the 200 or
so dollars a month on all this crap they push It makes me mad really.
Well great page and I'm glad you have it on the net.

Nice page. I attended an Amway meeting last night. I didn't even
know it was an Amway meeting (they were using the name "Britt Associates")
until the main speaker was finished speaking (1.5 hours long with the
first 45 minutes vague generalities-I had trouble staying awake and kept
looking at my watch). I can see that I'm not the only one who thinks it
weird that there were people taking notes and that the whole group
resembled a cult. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for taking the time to create your web page. I have linked
you up to my site, I hope you get a chance to visit "Brother Dave's House
of Love" at www.angelfire.com/ny/brotherdave - feel free to link up to my
page!

Let's see, if you don't agree and join my downline I don't want to see you
again. So what if you are my brother. You have no motivation. You dress
funny. You only need to buy off yourself. You just don't want to better
yourself.

Sorry folks God is not Amway, and Amway is not God. God is no respecter of
persons. But to be in the buisness you must be. Isn't that trying to put us
over God.

I'm not saying that everyone in Amway is this way. And if you want to put
in enough time and money you can build a good,legit buisness. It can work.
But we've delt with enough to know they have a messed up view of
Christianity. You can't call yourself a true christian and put everyone
down that doesn't want in the buisness. And I'm sorry to say they do.
Think about this. Why do they get so hot when opposed. The buisness should
be able to defend itself without confrontation. But that rarely happens.
Their way or no way. Sounds like a cult to me. OhYea, we've been there.

There is one inconsistency with the Amway "cult" theory. I know
people who have dropped out of distributing Amway and still maintain
contact with people within the "cult". They were not disowned from
the Amway "family" and buy their favorite products from an outlet run
buy people they do not know. I've gone with them to this place and
the people have never tried to get my parents back "in". Yes. I did
say my parents. They quit Amway because it took too much time when
they had five children to raise. They chose us and no one in Amway
blamed them. Many people in Amway may lose sight of friends and
family, but it may have to do with a personality type more than the
company. These people are the ones who work way too much at any job
and obsess with it. Many people prioritize work over anything else.
Amway is conducive to this type of person because it can make them a
fortune. However, to blame Amway rather than the capitalist mindset
that exists in every business in America is quite off-base. Amway's
largest fault is that it is capitalistic.

Also, it would be wise to list more products in your "consumer
findings" page. Show the products that rate well and try not to have
your own bias creep in. [Sigh. Once again, ALL the Consumer Reports reviews of Amway products that I know of are included...I didn't pick and choose them.] Your page is informational, but when it shows
only the negative, it becomes one-sided and inaccurate. The
discerning reader will tend to dismiss much of your valuable
criticisms against Amway because you do not have a balanced argument.
Acknowledge Amway's strengths and successes and you will find that
more people will listen to you as an informed critic rather than a
bitter person.

[I wonder if the people who make comments like this also email Amway and berate them for only presenting favorable information on their web site. I also wonder if pigs fly.]

I am currently a Amway distributor and have been since 1991. I was one
in the 1980's as well, however - dropped out. I am not an active
distributor, because I do not sell the products, or push others to my
way of thinking. I like some of the products (not all). I find them
extremely expense, and they work just a well as common everyday products
you can buy from the store (and much cheaper than Amway). I can even
get them the same day, don't have to wait a week, or to be told there
out of stock. I have seen and been told about what to say to people, to
get them to come to the meetings. There are some good distributors and
then not so good, just like there is honest people and not so honest.
People will be people, trying to get a head in life. It seem like
everyone has been or is a Amway distributor. There is those that have
to use and abuse to get ahead, then there is the smart ones that live
and learn from those that have to use and abuse. The smart ones knows,
nothing is free, and there is no quick money -- unless you happen to win
the lottery, then the government gets part of that.

My main reason for writing is because of reading some of the E-Mail from
those distributors that are going to retire. My upline, who I might add
is heavy into Amway. They are constantly showing the plan, attending
the rallies, and they were even calling me to attend the rallies,
however gave up (I sure am glad). In the 80's I attended the rallies,
came out feeling like a total jerk. Where does these people get there
money -- books, and tapes. Constantly wanting distributors to buy books
and tapes. Now I've asked myself, how can I retire from Amway if I'm
constantly having to buy books and tapes. I am told the books and tapes
is to keep me motivated. I am a motivated kind of guy, I don't need
books and tapes. If I am constantly required to read these books, I
can't be out showing the plan. Listening to speech after speech in my
car about Amway, that is pretty boring.

I like this home page of yours, it does show too sides, and for those
distributors that wish you didn't do this, well they got a real
problem. Oh by the way getting back to my upline, they're still not
retired. They both work 8 to 5 jobs -- something wrong with this
picture. My wife and I both work also, and WE ARE DEBT FREE, and not
because of Amway, but because of smart financial planning.

WELL

I have read your lawsuits on AMWAY . I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH AMAY.
I have heard alot of good things about AMWAY. So I did a web search and
found this page. I hate to say it, but for a buisnes that has been
here a long time and as big as others. There is not a whole lot of
leagle actions happening with AMWAY. COMPARED to the other big names.
But the articals were interesting. I would like to see the outcome of
some of these. Also the satanic stuff? People beleive in many things.
people should be smart enough to make up there own minds. God gave us a
mind they should use it. Please pardon my spelling I type this very
fast. I have to keep movin.

Thanks for your time .

As a result of having spent a few days with someone who I'm very fond of who
is involved in Amway, I came to the internet to look for some information
(articles or books) about Amway. After looking at one or two of the other
sites, which seemed as much anger and negative propaganda, I'm very happy to
see your list of references collected over a period of time from reputable
newspapers and journals, and I fully intend to look research some of them
myself.

My friend seems not to have been completely absorbed at this point, although I know that he's been involved for a year at least as are some members of his
family (brother, etc.) He has tried to recruit me, without success and has
not let that change our relationship, and at this point, it seems that some of what he's gained has been positive, while there are certainly a few other
things that I find disturbing.

I have no idea how I will continue to approach my interaction with him, but I
want to thank you for some of the tools which will inevitably help me to do so in a more educated way.

Sidney,

I have taken some time to read through not only your comments, but many of the letters sent by others. Although many of them seem to be negative, and some of the
"positive" ones quite rude, I was pleased to see that there were some reasonble
people like myself that see this business as an outstanding opportunity.

I agree and aknowledge that there are "Amway nuts" out there who are doing
unethical and unreasonable things that violate the business compedium, but you it
should be remembered that those people are working independently of the Amway
corporation. That does not excuse them for their actions, but that does not mean
that every Amway distributor behaves the same way.

In New York City there was recently a horrific story about a man who was tortured
by police after being arrested. There is a large investigation underway throughout
the entire department searching for widespread brutality. Now, do the heinous
actions of 4 rouge officers, and the unveiling of many other instances of police
brutality mean that all 30,000 New York City Police Officers are animals? Of course
not. Yes, there are people that fit into every stereotype ever mentioned, but that
does not mean that the entire group is the same.

The Amway corporation, as a company, is quite incredible. The rapid growth they
have achieved, not only in the US, but internationally, would be envied by many
other corporations. The June, 1997, issue of Success Magazine front cover article
spoke of how Zane publishing pursued Amway for 5 years to Market through their Network. There was also a recent article on the front page of the Wall Street
Journal that talked about the large number of Physicians starting Amway
distributorships. Even 60 minutes was willing to admit it had many preconceived
misconceptions about the company before they took a good hard look at them.

Many people seem to complain about "the system" and that everyone looses their
shirts buying tapes. Now, I cannot speak for every line of sponsorship, but if I
were to purchase every tape reccomended by my upline I would spend less that $750
in a year for my own tapes. And, If I actually apply what is reccomended on those
tapes, I will undoubtably start to build a network. My brother is a product of our
"education system" and embarks on a four year college career next month at a cost
of $32,000 per year for the next four years. At the end of those four years, he may
be able to find a job making $28,000 a year or so. Now, I am a firm believer in
education, but I just want to keep these "extravagant tool costs" in perspective.

I am also a memeber of the Navy Reserve. While recently helping a Senior Chief
determine his retirement pay after 28 years in the program, we calculated his
retirement to be $478 per month. Realize that he spent 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a
year (minimum), for 28 years and AT AGE 60, he will begin to receive that money
until he dies. If he wants to make sure that his wife will see it after he dies, he
must have a portion of it deducted to insure it for her. Now, if you help just one
person become a direct distributor, you will receive a minimum monthly bonus of
$702. That money will not only go to your spouse upon your death, but will also be
paid to your children. Rest assured, the Navy makes it clear where your "priorities
need to be", and it's not with your job or sometimes even family. I love my Navy,
and my country, but I don't count on them for my financial future. In addition,
promotion in the Navy is based on a vacancy driven system. Although I have 4 Navy
acheivement medals, numerous other awards, serve in a billet that is 3 paygrades
higher than I am currently, and was selected as the Sailor of the year in my
occupational community, I cannot be promoted because there are not enough openings.
The Navy, as much as I love her and am proud to serve,is unfortunately a pyramid.
Amway will never tell me I can't be a Diamond because there aren't any openings.

Last but certainly not least: I saw the Amway opportunity 8 years ago when a close
friend of mine got in the business. I also got in but left for the Navy six months
later and quit. Over the following 8 years I knew that he and his wife were still
in the business, but I never approached them about it and they never again
approached me, so I did not take another look at it until a co-worker approached me
at my job. Subsiquently my wife an I became distrubitors, have been following "the
system" and have been achieving the results that we should be. The other part to
this story is that my friend who has been building this business for 9 years now
was diagnosed with Cancer 2 months after closing on his house. He was able to take
a few weeks off from his job to have some surgery at first, but when a follow-up
screening showed that it has spread to some of his lymph glands and he now needed
to take a few months off. The "good job" he had fired him because he needed those
extra months. If not for the secondary income that he and his wife were producing
from their Amway business, he would have lost his home. Today he is healthy (thank
god) and is able to stay at home as a full time dad because of the income from his
Amway business.

Not everyone that joins Jack Lalane looks like Arnold, not everone that joins
Weight Watchers looses weight, and not everyone that becomes an Amway distributor
makes money, granted. But, if the effort that each of these endeavors asked you to
make is actually applied, you will achieve the desired results. Why do so few
people make alot of money in Amway? Because so few people do anything with it.

There are plenty of Nordic-Trac Ski Machines that are sitting in bedrooms across
America being used clothes racks, but I don't think that Nordic-Trac should be

slandered for it. Only 1% of all people who join the Navy to fly planes will ever
pilot an F-14, but I would never squash someone's dream to do it if that was what
they wanted.

Thank you for your attention.

Dear Sir

The main problem with Amway is not its concept, but its public
perception it creates. Mainly because as you have said people have been
ripped off, people have had experience with pushy distributors acting
like door to door salesman trying to sell vacuum cleaners.The reason
people won't join Amway is not because of its concept but mainly because
the structur with Amway allows unscruplious distributers to rip people
off, and most of the time uplines do not hear about this until it is too
late. By then countless people have been told of their bad experiences.
If Amway structured a system where this could be prevented by way of
tighter cash flow control not reliant on distributers, maybe they could
overcome their problems. In the past one of your top level diamonds who
was earning a six figure income at Amway tried to suggest these changes
but to no avail, which is another of Amway's problems-when push comes to
shove the top brass in Amway really do not give a shit about people
starting off in Amway and it shows!

By a very successful networker who has proved you wrong!

Good Evening Sidney! Cool web site, I narrowly avoided an "Am-encounter" with a guy that turned out to an interesting story to the residents of our fair city- Omaha, Nebraska.

One of my clients from work called with the usual Amway hocus-pocus about
meeting to discus the potential of a new partnership with a large corporation, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Turns out his upline sponsor was attending the meeting and that I had a
previous business identity with him. Needless to say, I turned down the Amway "opportunity", but then I read a piece in the paper about how the sponsors
"real" business had closed. The kicker is that the "real" business was
financed through local entrepeneur bond of some sort - the kind where the
local government finances the operation to provide jobs.

The plant closed, taking about 45 jobs with it! The public funding of this
project cost over $250,000 and then, literally overnight, the place was
closed. The sponsor, it turns out, had absconded with the money and hasn't
been seen since. Another Amway success story I guess!!

The plant was *, located in Millard, Nebraska
- a suburb of Omaha. The guy who ran it (also the Amway distributor) burned
the town for about $300,000. He'll never make Diamond at that rate - you've
got to rip off at least half a million to make Diamond!!

Sid,

I'm sure you don't remember me but I'm one of the many people you've
"deprogrammed" over the years. I stumbled over your web site just a few
weeks ago. I've spent enough time web surfing to recognize an
exceptionaly well designed and organized web site. Yours is one of the
best of I've ever seen.

With regard to the subpoena, I'm amazed it took the ambots so long to go
after you in some way. They must *really* hate it when anyone
performing even the most perfunctory URL search for amway finds your
site along with all the *official* bs.

Best of luck, and keep up the great work !

I have emailed you before but I say again.....keep up the good work!

Hi! A friend of mine told me about your site.
Very informative!

Yes... I am one of the many who tried Amway about 17 years ago.
I lasted about 6 months and was lucky I only lost $70.00
I couldn't sell a company or products I didn't believe in.

One of my sisters was suckered in also a few years ago. She
just dropped out because she couldn't afford the renual fee for
her license. She's so badly into debt with everyone in the family
after being suckered into going to conventions etc. Always being
told, "Don't worry about the cost, It's Tax deductable as a business
expence."

I know your message said you will not evaluate other MLM companies.
But if you know anyone who knows anything about Melaleuca and can
direct me their way, I'd appriciate it.

Thanks for providing legal info so that newly interested people can learn
about Amway. I signed on about 3 weeks ago and am curious to read Amways'
legal response to the lawsuits published on your website. I am not
affiliated with amway corporate, it's just that I have learned with
experience that nothing can be sliced so thin that it does not have two
sides.

Dear Mr. Schwarts :

Thank GOD someone has the guts the tell the TRUTH about SCAMWAY !! , it
is sad how this bunch of decievers are benefiting from so many people .
I live in small EL SALVADOR , Central America ; where unfortunately we
are being invaded by this SHIT . I am personally tired of receiving
phone calls from "friends" 2 ,3 times a week to offer me " a new
business" .

It is becoming so bad now, that every other jose is a distribuitor with
their own "new business" ; a group of amigos and i are preparing a
document to ban SCAMWAY from our country , we will be sending this
document to our " Congress" within September 97 . I feel it is
Outrageous to allow this SCAM in a country as poor as ours , where 50%
plus of the population lives in infrahuman conditions , and on top
they'll get ripped off by this SOB's. In regards to the DREAM - I have
my own traditional business and it doesn't matter whether i succeed or
if i fail , i will always have a clean conscience because i know i am an
honest person and don't take advantage of other people . As far as i am
concered , AMWAY : TAKE YOUR F..... DREAM AND SHOVE IT .

I really learned the hard way about AMWAY. Like others, I though that this would be the way to make me rich. I was stupid enough to change my w4 so I could have some additional money to "make it work". My fiancee and I got married quick because "we needed to do AMWAY as a team." Now, I got a huge tax bill because there was not enough money taken out of my check and our income lurched us out of our respective tax brackets!!! The only thing good that AMWAY did for me is encourage me to marry my college sweetheart--no divorce yet. . .

I was reading a FAQ about DBS satellite dishes at:

http://www.primenet.com/~btrosko/dbs/rvsdfaq.html#C19

and it appears that Amway has/had some relationship
witht the AlphaStar satellite system. It was interesting
that the one comment made about AlphaStar is that it is
the only DBS system with hard core pornography.

Love your site. Very comprehensive.

Something you might not have known: here in Louisiana, Woody Jenkins, a
(Republican) politician who lost a Senate race last year by 5,000 votes, has
forced the Senate to investigate the election, election fraud, etc. Mr.
Jenkins is *very* high in the Amway pyram- ah, I mean, program.

Hello...

I'm fairly new to the Internet and was horrified recently when I typed "Amway" into the Alta Vista Search engine and discovered more than 20,000 documents pertaining to Amway the first 20 results having links "www.amway.com" Luckily I was advised to refine my search and added the key word "FACTS" to my search, which thankfully directed me to your excellent site.

I'll try to be brief, I know you must recieve many emails on this subject.

About 4 years ago an uncle of mine was recruited into Amway here in South Wales, UK. Of course, like the majority of people, he's getting nowhere fast with it.

Subsequently, an attempt was made to involve me into this scam through the representative that recruited my Uncle. I had the full works... The smarmy, buiness suited 200+ pointer with his silver badge or what-ever it is they wear, The NOBO board, Wipe clean coloured pens, Motivational Video and an Amway book with pictures of "Bob and Charlene with they're new Rolls Royce"

To be honest, it made me sick to my stomach, but I wasn't strong enough then just to tell him to F*** off and stop wasting my time, so I listened to his propaganda and politely declined.

I am not particularly financially literate and was thus totally disinterested in the alleged "Facts and Figures" especially since the presenter totally evaded my basic question "What's the bottom line - WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?". As it turned out I had to start from the bottom of a chain, selling sub-standard shite to my Family and Friends and eventally get them to sell it for me.etc etc etc........Believe me, in our close-nit communities in the South Wales Valleys, that sort of thing just does not happen.

Since, then other firends of mine have considered Amway. My question is...Considering my lack of understanding of the "system" (and indeed lack of "want" to understand the system) whats the best way in plain English to disuade someone considering joining Amway? Unfortuately, my usual response; "If you bring any of that crap into my house, you're out on your arse" is neither diplomatic or constructive.

The best angle I would consider is the "Cult" one. But I've read that due to "Friends in Congress" and "Generous Political Donations" Amway seems to be exempt from the type of Federal Investigation one would assume to be a foregone conclusion with other, less buisness-orientated cults.

Thank you for your time in reading my email, I understand that you may not be able to reply directly but I will continue reading your site for ideas and inspiration on this matter.

Dear Sir,

It was quite interesting to read your site. I like all other fools joined
Amway only to please my friend. I paid for the Kit Canadian Dollar 320.00.
I opened the KIT quite amazing and got FIRED UP. The ideal way to go broke,
get frustrated, get depressed. It is better to be a loser than to cheat
your own friends.

Here begins my story:

Opened the KIT got excited.

Read all the compendium and got the rules in mind about amway and how it
works.

Started using the product. Products are more or less equal to other brands
in the market.

Started checking the Catlog Products nothing is manufactured by Amway.

Started checking the Core Product - partly manufactured by Amway and Partly
bought
from other makers in France, Germany etc.

Checked the prices of product of Amway manufactured product like ARTISTRY,
DETERGENT and Other CONCENTRATED Products. Prices are exhorbitant when
compared to other American Manufacturers. The price difference is about 30
- 40%
higer than what I can get from HYPER MARKETS.

I got shocked when AMway manufactured products are so costly, there is no
point in looking in to the other catlog products that are not manufactured
by AMWAY.

Calculated my monthly quota of detergent, toothpaste, cleaning products etc
including ladies item like, lipstick, lip pencil, body lotion etc. Found
average family of 2+2 require about CDN$ 200 per month. The same amount
when shopped from outside is about CDN$ 120.00. Here by joining Amway I Pay
CDN$80.00 more what I am getting back by way of performance bonus is CDN
6.00. Incredible. Now if I have to make money I have to approach a friend
or a friend's friend and ask him to buy more of Amway prodcuts. This is the
way I have to cheat people to pocket my income and they call me winner. I
better be honest and decided not to cheat any of my friends by pocketing
income from my friend. this is like poker game. Amway is making hell of lot
of money and these distributors carried away by their false dream. I feel
very sorry for those innocent people in Canada who get trapped in this
Pyramid Business.

I quite amway and now my job is to attend many functions, like open
meeting, rallies etc and slowly educate people to get out of this cult. As
of today I could rescue about
400 people and they are very thankful to me.

I will continue to do so till every one realize about the system.

Aug.30/97

Your website is Amazing!! It meant a great deal to me to get some inside
scoop on this giant scam because I feel I have lost my sister to it. I did
not realize that 60 Minutes, Phil Donahue and American Journal had done
segments on this. I am very keen on obtaining videos if possible, of this
programming.

Any help you can give me on this issue would be greatly appreciated. You
are doing a great service by providing the information on your site.
Thankyou.

P.S. I have ordered the two recommended books on Mind Control and should
have them in a couple of weeks. I am hoping that they will provide me with
the necessary insight and approach that might help to bring my Sis back to
reality. Thanks again.

Why is it all of the amway people say you are "a dream stealer" if you
challenge them on amway? Is that a canned phrase? My daughter and son inlaw
have gotten into scamway.......Dave and Carol (not real names) have
distanced family and friends. They only hang out w/ other amway people. Any
suggestions?

Mr. Schwartz:

I really like your page, I started investigating Amway
because I was invited to a business meeting about "a
great opportunity" (I did not know it would be Amway) and
was suspicious throughout the lecture. Anyway,
I noticed a lot of the legal info on your page are about
cases with Amway quite a while back ('83, etc). I was
just on the www.amway.com page and they have some kind of
problem with an article by Molly Ivins that stated Amway
would make a huge tax break off of HR 2014. The page is
http://www.amway.com/welcome/news.htm
I was wondering what the real story behind this page entry
is, I sure don't believe anything on amways page other than
the existence of Ms. Ivins letter and claim.

Mr Schwartz:

I have been forced lately to look for information related to Amway
because of my dear sister: she has been acting as if under complete
mind-control: she eats, drinks, sleeps Amway, has no time for anything
else, has no social life or any life outside of Amway. Her marriage is
in serious trouble. As her well wishers, we have long moved past trying
to convince her: logic, reasoning and even threats of dire consequences
have had zero effect. Her husband has moved from indifference to
despondence. And given the volatility of the situation, potential
for tragedy including mortal danger to at least a few Amway folks in
Chicago, is unfortunately very real. I would appreciate any pointers to
local self-help groups in the Chicago area who can help this family come
out of the morass they have landed themselves into.

And thaks for your page. The only way to prevent Amway generated tragedies,
financial or more serious, is through better education: your page is a great
help.

The following account is True. No names
have been changed as that would protect the
GUILTY. Please consider how you might be able to
pray over the information revealed in this
Post.

David vs. Goliath?

Not all that long ago, a little boy
named Jordan was born on October 9th, 1989.
Shortly thereafter, his parents were to learn
that he had severe medical conditions, which baffled
the doctors for months, as medical bills ,
doctor visits and costly medicine had to be obtained,
and all without medical insurance. [Asthma, and
PIDS, commonly known as the 'bubble-boy'
condition].

But, his enterprising parents had a plan.
They had learned that AT&T was giving money to
Planned Barrenhood, and that MCI, which was NOT
giving money to planned barrenhood, was
authorizing Amway distributors to be paid $10.00 per
phone number converted to MCI, instead of the
$2.00 they had been paying. Plus, the
additional bonus money with the residuals, would make it
all possible to pay all of these expenses,
and keep their little boy alive.

They scrupulously checked out the
Business Reference Manual Cover to Cover to insure
that their plan was "legal" within the
contract. They even called Amway itself, and asked a lot
of needed questions, and were told their
plan was as they had thought, legal and in complete
harmony with the contract. All the other
information on direct-mail campaigns said "Yes!" So they
began to carry out their plan. What they did
was to mail a proposal with documentation on the
activities of AT&T and planned barrenhood, to pro-life
and pro-family leaders across the nation.
They encouraged each one to include this
information to their mailing lists, on the next
mailing, and to include a copy of the families Amway/MCI
application, and tell their members that this family
would be paying a full 50%, or $5.00, for each one
returned to the group's leader.

Amway, without any of the Required
Notices, and in other ways, in VIOLATION of Contract,
went BEHIND the backs of the family, and LIED,
convincing these participating groups NOT
to mail the applications to this family, but
instead, to mail them directly to the Amway Corporation!

Theft by deception, mail fraud, R.I.C.O.,
and telephonic fraud were involved as well,
if the Law means what it says about behavior that
constitutes violations. The "DNA" of Amway's misconduct
makes a perfect match to what these laws describe.

The family first learned of this betrayal
when they received a letter from one groups
leaders, who in the letter, was already convinced to
believe the falsehoods that lead to a successful
completion of this first documented theft by deception.

Meanwhile, their little boy was constantly near death!
Their hopes of being able to fully
provide all medical needs were quickly dashed to
fragments.

The family, believing the reports of the
Christian faith of the Amway founders, sent in
Bible verses in vain hopes of convincing them to
correct and reverse the damage the theft and wrongful
interference had already begun to cause.

The family sent them a photograph of
their little sick boy, and copies of mounting medical
bills.

All appeals to this company to do the
right thing were largely ignored, except one day,
when a call came to their home from the Amway
corporate attorney, indicating they wanted to
"settle" this matter.

The family obtained the services of an
attorney, who contacted this Amway attorney, to
make the arrangements, only to quickly learn that
the Amway corporation had lied again.

The families attorney soon afterwards
became a federal administrative law judge, and
could no longer represent the family.

The only other attorney who knew enough
about the amway business to bring them to
justice, and has never lost a case against them yet,
required an upfront retainer fee that was forever
out of reach of this struggling family.

This family has had to live without
transportation, without gas heat in the
cold New Jersey town they lived in, often
without electricity, without water service,
and eventually was evicted from their
home. Where did all the utility and car
insurance money go? On lottery tickets? No. On
gambling in Atlantic City? No. On drunkenness?
Again, No.

It largely went into the purchase of
medicine, absolutely required to keep their son
alive. There were monitors involved, oxygen tanks,
and most costly of all, the medicine. Most doctors
have NEVER been paid. There is=>one<=blood
test that each time it is performed costs
OVER $900.00!

Folks, what do you do when the irresponsible and
lawless acts of a major corporation, that
passes itself off as a pratictioner of
pro-family "Compassionate Capitalism," nearly
destroys the life of your innocent child, over and
over and over again? Any suggestions?

Send them here, and they will be passed
on to this family, okay?

By the way.....Jordan's Mom is an
African-American, a Black and beautiful
lady, as is this families son, a very handsome lad
indeed.

Amway knows Jordan.....they HAVE received the
photographs. The TOTAL lack of a decent,
lawful, HONORABLE response out of the Amway
Corporation, in the face of a little
brown boy's KNOWN life-compromising health conditions
ought to give any thoughful person some
serious contemplation. Join your prayers to
theirs and ours and pray that Amway founders will
experience a genuine change of heart.

POSTSCRIPT; The Business Reference Manual
suddenly began to include a clause that
today would seem to prohibit this type of
activity - in 1994 ==>A FULL 4 YEARS AFTER this family
did what they did, and which this family
had repeatedly informed Amway WOULD BE
REQUIRED in order for them to LAWFULLY
BLOCK this type of activity. Did the
Amway Corporation finally take it's Que from
this small, struggling family? Of course!!!

In doing this, 4 YEARS LATER, Amway
admitted that what they had done to this family
was unlawful. But, Amway has YET to make
right the festering problem this corporation has
purposely inflicted on this charming and attractive
family.
Will you contact Amway and help inform
other Amway distributors of their plight?

This family warns all concerned
distributors, that what Amway did to this family, by proxy,
was done against ALL OTHER distributors, and
to beware. You may never encounter such
problems directly, but on the other hand.... you
can never tell. There has, within this same period
of time, been a Diamond Direct who unlawfully lost
their Diamondship by arbitrary Amway misconduct
as determined by a Michigan Jury, and, not
long ago, a Crown Direct was stripped of it's
entire life-long built organization by very unfair
arbitrary and questionable actions of the amway
corporation.

Amway has clearly taken a course which
should alarm ALL Amway distributors, who may
think twice now, about their own association
with this company. If YOU have joined with this
company as a distributor during the years of 1996 & 1997,
you can still get a 100% return on all of your
money - without being required to return either
the materials and/or the products that came
in your start-up distributorship package. [Even
if you used them all up and threw away the packages].

Simply send in your refund request
directly to Amway, by Certified-mail, return receipt
requested. They will [if still lawfully
honoring this FTC requirement] cut you your check
within 2 or 3 weeks.

Please, if so inclined, send a note of
your concern directly to Amway at their e-mail
address:

netinfo@amwayusa.ccmail.compuserve.com

IF OR WHEN YOU GET A RESPONSE FROM
AMWAY, PLEASE SEND A COPY HERE:
USA Legend

Most inquires to Amway are not getting topic-specific
answers. Amway has kept it's corporate head
viciously buried deep in the sand, BUT if enough
different folks send them e-mail about this, we may
get a reply and ACTION that demonstrates that
THEY of ALL organizations CAN NOT and WILL NOT
get away with actions that so far, place
an innocent brown boy in perpetual jepoardy,
while they $ PROFIT $ from false proclamations
of "Compassion."

For more complete information, Go To;

Amway: The Untold Story: Main Page

http://www.teleport.com/~schwartz

Sid, you are are mixture of fly defecations and vomit. Please hurry up
and die.

Thanks.

Dear Sir,

I can see you have invested a lot of time and resourses into your
anti-Amway site. It is good to see that you have such interest in the
Amway opportunity.

I feel that you have on your web site, unfortunity to your disadvantage,
detracted from what Amway really is. You make claims that Amway is a
cult, a Pyamid and so on. These things a totally untrue. It doesn't
matter your option on the topic and really you have the right to be
wrong and air that option. That is what living in a free country is all
about.

The first thing is about a pyamid. Most organisations operate as
pyamids. Most companies have a boss, who earns the most and then incomes
flow down depending on your level in the company. Also the tradiation
distribution system for goods and services in our countries is the same.
The Manufacturer sells to the wholesaler who using agents and exporters
sell to retailers. Each level of the pyamid makes a cut on each product.

So lets look at the Amway Marketing Plan. It too is set out to reward
people for developing a distribution system. The difference is that in
Amway it is possible to earn more than your sponsor and upline. That is
harder to do in a job. There is nothing illegal in that in both your
country and mine, Australia.

As for lack of retailing being a cause to call Amway a illegal pyamid is
not a case. Your income is Amway is derived from turnover, not
sponsoring people. However it is easier to turnover more with more
outlets (or Distributors). Also in Amway, most people benefit from the
self use of the 10 000's of different goods and services available. They
are not interested in developing a business out of Amway. That's Great!
So those who are developing a business then have others in their group
that are consumers only (like customers that get a discount). Please
tell me what is wrong with this?

Your web site refer to cult activities by Amway distributors. Well I
don't know if you have every have a DREAM for anything, but anybody
going for something, looks cult like. They are motivatied and driven.
And why not, the world would not be as advanced as we are if it was not
for DREAMERS, that may even looked like they were in a cult.

The Tapes, Books, Functions, Voicemail and other material that you refer
to are option, but also cost a lot less than if you were to use other
business systems that are available. Example I attended a weekend
function for $AUD120.00 a ticket, during that function we had a silver
service dinner, enterainment and several business sessions. The first
thing is that no one was forced to buy a ticket. The second is that one
of the speakers is an international know speaker on Body Lanuage. Now if
I wanted to see him at a function, outside of the support system offered
by my Diamond, it would cost me anywhere from $AUD1000 to $AUD5000 for
the two hours. I Saved at least $AUD880 and got enterainment and dinner,
plus other speakers.

I could go on about the Tapes, Books and Functions that I could attend,
but the fact is that by being in the support system, it has saved
thousands and my personal development side, plus it has assisted myself
at university, developing other business interests and of course it has
help developed my Amway business in Australia and overseas. Currently we
operate in Australia and Colombia, but are expanding into Europe and
North America in the next two years. Please tell me where I can tap into
such a business support system, for so little?

I little note here to say that I am not the fastest in the Amway
business and I am not finnancially free yet from the business. I am at
the lower levels at the moment, but I have a very small organisation
that is increasing and when you treat the Amway business as a business
not a get rich scheme, you will not be disapointed by the results.

Finnally, I would like to say that, if you are willing I would like to
meet you, not about business, but that would be an exciting topic for
you. But no seriously I would like to meet you, when I am in North
America later next year, so you know who I am as a person and I know who
you are as a person. But only if you are Game!!

I loved your page...My wife and I made the mistake of joining this thing last
July...I have one question, can we get the $200.00 back we paid for the Amway
kit back or are we out of luck? Please respond

I was very interested to read the comments on your Amway page. My
friend, and he is still a friend, got me involved in Amway in 1994 and I
remained a distributor for 1 year and lost more money than I can now
imagine.

The con trick involved in Amway is very simple. Get a mug to sell the
shit for you. Double glazing firms here in England use the same trick.
You pay the salesman a percentage of his sales, usually a very generous
percentage. The salesman then sells to his family and friends and
usually makes a fair few sales. Then comes the hard bit, he now has to
sell to Joe Public and they don't want to know. The salesman then earns
no money and leaves the company. Does the company mind, no! they made
some sales and didn't have to pay the salesman any salary for the time
that he wasn't selling. There will be an occasional good salesman who
will continue on (The diamond distributors in Amway?) but most will lose
money and even families.

To anyone considering joining the Amway Religion (and i'm an atheist),
unless you can sell condoms to nuns then DONT DO IT!!!!!

What a bunch of crap!!! I have never had a negitive expierence in this
business. It is the one perfect business. I have been self employed for 37
years, I know what it's like putting a profitable business together.The crap
I read in your site, has no resembelance to the Amway business i'm involved
with. The people who don't succeed in this business are the people who did
not get up off their butts and do it!!!
Take your nagitive site and put it where the sun don't shine. I love my
business, I love the people in it. Talk about brainwash!!! At least we have a
brain to wash!!! YOU loose!!! DEBT FREE, 8 BILLION IN BUSINESS, 37 YEARS IN
BUSINESS, 2 1/2 MILLION DISTRIBUTORS. What do you have? BYE!!!!!

Sidney:

Your site was a godsend, quite frankly. My wife and I have been Amway
distributors (in the Yager organization) for a little more than a year
now, and until I discovered your site on around July 4th (right after
returning home from "Family Reunion"), we were completely "soul'd
out," to the business and our "dreams." 5 and 6 nights a week, SOT,
DBR, Book of the Month AND Video of the Month, never miss a function,
the whole 9 yards. We were core. And then, I found your site, and
our whole world changed. I now see my 2-year-old daughter at night.
I have a chance to return phone calls from social acquaintances who
are not "in the business" (and who still talk to me after I tried to
rope them). We're back to working out, answering mail, paying bills,
and having a life on weekends. (What a concept.) Suddenly, we also
have money available for frivolous things like getting the oil changed
in the car and putting new storm windows in the house.

Best of all, no more ridiculous BS done in the name of "never letting
anybody steal your dream." We are still in the business (I'll get to
that later), and the last product pick-up date coincided with our
upline group's return from Free Enterprise Day in Charlotte, NC.
(Never mind that the whole group is from NJ, NY, and MA, and that
there was a FED in Boston, 4 hours away, on the same weekend: our
upline Diamond was "invited" to be at Dexter's FED in Charlotte, so
off our upline and his Amalemmings went on an 18-hour drive, taking 2
days off from work in the process.) Everyone was stumbling around,
bleary-eyed and road-weary, totally spent...and raving about how
"great" it was to have been in "Dex's back yard, with all of the
REALLY BIG Diamonds," and our upline began admonishing us almost
immediately for having not gone, saying that we had made the biggest
mistake of our lives, bar none. (Sorry, Glen, but Big Mistake Number
One has already been made...I signed the SA-4400, didn't I?) One of
our downlines, who did go, admitted to having spent about $700 on the
whole weekend. Of course, because our upline and his wife had been
away for 4-5 days, none of our products were at the house, ready for
pick-up...which was explained away with the ubiquitous "Hey, if you're
going to think small, and worry about where your products are, you
can't see the big picture and build the business long term." Of
course, since we found your site and got the scoop on the tools and
recruitment scam, we've focused exclusively on retailing the products
instead of the "system," which means that we have CUSTOMERS who want
their products, not lame-brained BS answers. Think I could get that
message across? Um, no...particularly because my upline has been
rather fiery about our decision to take the business "backwards" into
retailing, and COMPLETELY abandoned us after we dropped off of SOT and
the other system programs.

We are still in the business, however, and we make OK extra spending
money doing retail, without the mental burden of having to show the
plan and sucker people into an 18-carat gold fantasy-land. TBH, we're
holding out until the Christmas season comes along, because we do
really think that we can make decent money (maybe enough to cover
buying our own presents) with a Christmas Catalog promotion we're
working up. Time will tell.

Thanks for the site. You saved our bank account, a lot of
friendships, a great deal of our sanity, and (probably) our marriage
(because, as usually happens, one of us was not as enthusiastic as the
other after a couple of months, and we started to fight, so we did the
logical thing...took our marriage-related problems to our upline, who
"understood" them. Of course, he then preceded to work us against
each other, it was a lot of fun). We appreciate it.

I just want to say that my parents got divorced when I was three years
old and my father moved out. I spent most Sundays with him as I grew
up, but its a hard way to have a relationship, so we've had a tough time
relating to each other but we did really good until he got into Amway.
He was upset with me and my husband because we wouldn't join. One time
when I was living about 600 miles away from him and my children were
small, I hadn't seen my dad in over a year... when I got a call that he
would be traveling near me to an Amway convention, and if I could get
some friends to come over for a "meeting" he would come by and see
me.... He didn't want to take his vacation time to see his daughter and
grandchildren he wanted to go to an Amway convention... and he wouldn't
travel a hundred miles out of the way to come see us unless it was Amway
motivated.... and he is (supposedly) a Christian man who loves his
family. Figure that one out! Thank you for exposing Flamway for
what it is, a cult.

† God Bless You †

Mr. Schwartz,

Recently my wife and I had a meeting with a representative of the
International Networking Association.....Ever heard of them? They are a
local wing of Amway located in the Lancaster/Palmdale area of
California. He first approached my wife at her practice and presented
her with a audio-cassette. Both she and I listened to the tape and
determined that it really didn't say anything. It just spoke of a
"Great business" opportunity that many people are taking advantage of.
Eventually the representative of INA called to arrange a meeting in
order to view a Video Cassette presentation and to discuss this "Great
Oppprtunity."

We listened to their spiel and after they were gone. I went
surfing and discovered your site. I remember an aunt many years ago
whom was involved with Amway. I for one do not intende to peddle soap
to my friends and relatives. Much of what you described in your pages
was exactly what they explained to us(my wife and myself). They gave me
some information to keep and wanted us to read. However, he said that
if we didn't want to become involved with INA we were permitted to keep
the "business marketing plan" due to FTC regulations. I would like to
make you an offer of a copy of this material since your site seems quite
diverse in its scope.

Thank you for your site and its plain truth format. I needed
another viewpoint from which to aid my wife and myself in our decision
about what to do.

I have one question for you. Have you seen the sales and marketing plan? Or
are you an upset distributor who didn't make it because you didn't do the
work? Amway is not a cult. Until you see what Amway is really about, I
suggest you don't criticize or condemn what you don't know. You cant keep a
loser from losing, now can you.